Noida: Speed limit on Expressways to be reduced over low visibility

On the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, the speed limit will be reduced to 75 kmph for light vehicles, and 50 kmph for heavy vehicles

Noida: To prevent accidents during dense fog, the Noida traffic police are likely to reduce the speed limit on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and Yamuna Expressway from December 15 till February 15, said traffic officials.

The speed limit reduction on expressways is a standard safety measure implemented annually from December 15 to February 15. However, the Noida traffic police have held a meeting with Noida authority to implement it in the coming days. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

On the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, the speed limit will be reduced from 100 kilometre per hour (kmph) to 75 kmph for light vehicles, and from 60 kmph to 50 kmph for heavy vehicles. On the Yamuna Expressway, the speed limit will decrease from 100 kmph to 75 kmph for light vehicles and from 80 kmph to 60 kmph for heavy vehicles.

Yamuna Prasad, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), said, “During winter, fog reduces visibility on roads, making driving difficult. Due to freezing temperatures, roads also become slippery, increasing the chances of an accident. To avoid any untoward incident, we are planning to reduce the speed limit on the Noida Expressway and Yamuna Expressway soon.”

On November 19, as many as 17 people suffered injuries after a speeding Mathura-bound bus rammed into an accidental truck due to dense fog and low visibility on the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) around 4.30am.

On Sunday, a woman died and seven others sustained injuries after a speeding truck rammed into their Toyota Camry and Innova Hycross at the 8-kilomtere point on the Yamuna Expressway around 4am.

The speed limit reduction on expressways is a standard safety measure implemented annually from December 15 to February 15. However, the Noida traffic police have held a meeting with Noida authority to implement it in the coming days.

Noida authority will install new speed limit signs on the Noida Expressway, and Jaypee Infratech will do the same on the Yamuna Expressway.

J K Sharma, senior manager, Yamuna Expressway toll operations, said: “We distribute informative pamphlets and offer tea to truck drivers at night to ensure they do not sleep while driving. We have also installed fog lights at different locations to improve visibility,” he said.

The Jaypee Infratech, the concessionaire of the Yamuna Expressway , has deployed 15 patrol vehicles, six ambulances, six cranes, and six fire tenders along the expressway.